KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said Vietnam has expressed its willingness to continue exporting rice to Malaysia.
“They are ready to continue exporting rice to Malaysia, according to the negotiated price, meaning a reasonable price in Malaysia, if (we) need to increase rice imports from Vietnam,” he said.
Mohamad was commenting on the bilateral meeting with Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Quoc Tri today, in conjunction with the ongoing 45th Asean Ministers’ Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (Amaf), from October 2 to October 6.
Malaysia is the host of the 45th Amaf, which aims to strengthen Asean's position as the food basket of the world, apart from driving closer cooperation between member countries to maintain food security in the Asean region.
Also attending the 45th Amaf were Singapore's Minister of Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu and Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn.
The minister said in the meeting with Fu, both discussed increasing trade in agriculture between Malaysia and Singapore, while Kao believes Asean cooperation with other countries, like China and India, needs to be improved in facing the problem of food security.
— Bernama
